Fatrank Podcast

James Dooley: If you're a company based in Swansea and looking to grow in 2026, what digital marketing strategy should you be using? Should you be using multiple different digital marketing strategies to help you grow? Are you wasting money at present on certain channels? Are you posting each day on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter but not getting the exposure that you deserve? All these questions are what we are going to go through now with Kazra to find out what will get you the best return on investment. Should you be looking at strategies like AI SEO, getting your brand and company name cited in ChatGPT or in Gemini, which is part of the AI overviews in Google? If you are a business based in Swansea, Kazra, what advice would you give to business owners or entrepreneurs?

Kasra Dash: The biggest issue Swansea based businesses have when they reach out to James and myself is that they do not have a predictable system. They might be spending £6,000 every month across a range of different channels and they do not know what is actually generating the leads. They do not know where the leads come from and they do not know the quality of the leads. The first thing I would recommend is setting up a predictable system with clear KPIs. You need to know exactly how much money is being spent on each marketing channel, how many leads each channel generates, what percentage of those leads are contactable and how many of those contacts actually become paying customers. Once you have those KPIs in place, marketing stops being guesswork and becomes a predictable system. That is what every business owner ultimately wants. James, for a Swansea based business, what would be the first marketing channel you would recommend?

James Dooley: The first step for me is branding or brand SEO. Businesses need to make sure they look good online and have a strong reputation. Everything should start with a positive brand SERP. A SERP is a search engine results page, so it is what appears when someone searches your business name. Getting that brand presence right across the board helps every other marketing channel. It improves conversion rates on paid ads and social media because when people check your brand before making a decision, they see a positive reputation. Branding is the foundation that all other digital marketing strategies should build on.

James Dooley: The next strategy is AI visibility. More and more companies are starting to look into this. Businesses need to ask what ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity say about their brand. Is the information positive or negative? They should also check what those platforms say about their competitors and work to improve their own visibility. Some people call this AI SEO. Others call it GEO or LLM optimisation. Whatever the name, this will be a major part of digital marketing in 2026 and beyond.

Kasra Dash: AI visibility is definitely something businesses need to take seriously. The next strategy is using companies like FatRank or Promo SEO. They offer commission based lead generation services for UK companies looking to grow. Businesses should still focus on their own marketing efforts, but outsourcing part of the lead generation can create diversification. Going to fatrank.com and filling in the form allows businesses to see whether they can receive a no risk supply of enquiries. Promo SEO also offers a performance based lead generation service. It is worth exploring whether a third party lead generation company can help top up enquiries and help grow a business in 2026.

Kasra Dash: The next strategy is Google Business Profiles, also known as Google Maps listings. This is essentially local SEO where businesses aim to build up reviews and optimise their listing in their local area. Once a listing ranks well it can consistently generate leads. The challenge is getting started. If a business has no reviews and competitors already have fifty or a hundred reviews, there is a large gap to close. Reviews often require existing leads, which creates a chicken and egg situation. Even so, it is still valuable for brand presence and businesses should always try to build and optimise their Google Business Profile.

James Dooley: If you operate in a local area, getting visibility in Google Maps is important. Businesses should also aim to be omnichannel and omnipresent. Another key strategy is organic SEO. This involves building a website that ranks for relevant services. For example, if you are a plumber in Manchester, you might create a service page targeting plumbing in Manchester. Those pages can then be shared through your Google Business Profile as well. Businesses can also create blog content targeting common questions. The aim is to produce high quality content, build topical authority and acquire third party backlinks to strengthen rankings. Organic SEO should be a core part of any digital marketing strategy in 2026.

Kasra Dash: Another strategy is organic social media. Organic social media is very much a numbers game. Businesses need to create content their audience actually wants to watch or read. Many brands post a few times on Instagram and then disappear for years. That will not generate sales. Instead, businesses should publish helpful content such as how to guides, before and after examples and practical tips. This type of content builds trust and encourages people to click through to the website or fill in a contact form. Organic social media may be free, but it requires consistency. Posting three or four times a week is a good starting point.

James Dooley: Paid social ads are another powerful strategy. If a business is already creating social media content, it can be worth boosting those posts with a small budget. Even a few pounds per day can increase reach significantly. Case studies, awards and reputation focused posts often work well. Retargeting ads are also very effective. If someone visits your website, paid social ads can bring them back. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and Pinterest all offer paid advertising options. Paid social media remains an underused channel for many businesses.

Kasra Dash: The next strategy is PPC, which can be a love hate relationship for many businesses. This includes Google Ads or Bing Ads. These are the sponsored listings that appear above organic search results. Some businesses spend tens of thousands on PPC without results. Others spend large amounts and see excellent returns. The difference usually comes down to setup and management. Successful PPC campaigns rely on strong negative keyword lists, protection against click fraud, high converting landing pages and a sales team that quickly follows up enquiries. When these elements are in place, PPC can work very well. Without them, it can quickly waste budget.

James Dooley: Paid marketing also includes future opportunities with AI platforms. Advertising on platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity is not fully rolled out yet, but many companies expect it to appear during 2026. Businesses that become early adopters may benefit from cheaper leads and lower competition. It is something that business owners should watch closely as the market develops.

Kasra Dash: Another source of visibility is online forums such as Reddit and Quora. Businesses cannot fully control these platforms, but they can benefit from positive discussions about their brand. Encouraging satisfied customers to recommend a service to others can create valuable word of mouth visibility online.

James Dooley: Forums such as Reddit also appear frequently in AI overviews. Positive discussions about a brand can therefore improve AI visibility as well. The final strategy is using tradesman platforms such as Checkatrade, Bark, Rated People or MyBuilder. Businesses can also partner with third party lead generation companies. The key point across all marketing channels is tracking return on investment. Business owners should measure the time and budget spent on each activity and compare it with the leads and revenue generated. If a platform generates profitable leads, it makes sense to continue using it.

James Dooley: Lead generation companies such as FatRank and Promo SEO guarantee a return on investment through commission based or performance based models. Businesses should still build their own lead sources, but having multiple channels reduces risk. Relying on one single source of leads is dangerous. Diversifying lead generation ensures consistent growth.

James Dooley: Make sure you check out Promo SEO or the FatRank lead generation service as part of your digital marketing strategy in 2026.

Kasra Dash: Thank you very much James.